Champ Clark Bridge work continues

Posted on Tuesday, October 2, 2018 at 3:05 pm

By Taylor Lockard
lpjed@lcs.net
MoDot Transportation Project Manager Keith Killen explained to the Press what the current and upcoming projects will be for the Champ Clark Bridge, which spans the Mississippi from Louisiana to Illinois.
He said the bridge will have two deck types constructed.
“The steel girders will have pre-cast deck panels and the concrete girders will have a cast in place deck,” he said, “The concrete girders are the last three spans on the Illinois side of the river and the deck on those spans will be completed first. The contractor will be placing forms and steel rebar in the next few weeks and then will pour the concrete deck this fall.” He continued, “The steel girders begin on the Missouri side of the river and continue to the Illinois bank. There will be 181 pre-cast deck panels that are nine inches thick placed on the steel girders.”
He said the pre-cast panels are nearly 47 wide and nine feet long and will be placed one foot apart from each other.
“Shear studs will be welded onto the steel girders that will connect the pre-cast panels to the steel girders. Concrete will then be used to fill in the gaps between the pre-cast deck panels.”
After both decks are completed, polyester polymer concrete (PPC), will be overlaid on top of them, sealing the entire deck and protecting it from corrosion.
Killen said as soon as the water level recedes, the levee where the new road is will be rebuilt, and work will continue through the fall and winter on the bridge.
A public update on the bridge will be held at the Riverview Park in Louisiana on Saturday, Oct. 27.

Work will continue through the winter on the Champ Clark Bridge, which crosses the Mississippi from Louisiana to Illinois.

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